Rare vintage Lillet aperitif heads to museum

Aperitif brand Lillet has discovered a vintage Kina Lillet bottle from 1967, one of the last bottles from the period, and secured its position at The Museum of the American Cocktail.

One of the few remaining bottles of Kina Lillet is now on display at The Museum of the American Cocktail

The vintage expression has now become a permanent artefact in The Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans, located inside the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

Kina Lillet became well-known globally when James Bond ordered a Martini made with the brand in Casino Royale in the 1950s, and Maison Lillet hopes the discovery of the rare bottle will remind visitors to the Museum of the American Cocktail of “the important place Lillet had in pop culture”.

“We were astonished when this vintage Kina Lillet bottle from 1967 was found,” commented Laurence Cost, Lillet brand manager. “As one of the last known bottles in existence, it is serendipitous that the Museum of American Cocktail was opening within the Southern Food & Beverage Museum.

“We’re glad that we are able to contribute such an important piece to this outstanding organisation which celebrates cocktail culture and history.”

Cocktail enthusiasts visiting the museum will be able to see the Kina Lillet bottle within the Lost Spirits exhibition, which will be used as an aid to depict the story of the Martini and its evolution through the decades.

Furthermore, the bottle will also feature in the museum’s travelling collection and be showcased at the museum’s LA collection in celebration of the history of the aperitif in a seminar on 11 May.

The word ‘kina’ derived from ‘quinquina’, and had become common among aperitif brands as a word to reinforce its quinine content.

However, in the early 1970s, Maison Lillet removed Kina from the brand name claiming it “was no longer relevant for the times”.